


Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

by tattsun_senpai



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Character, References to Religion, there's a couple of relationships + one sided crushes hinted at but tatsurinne is the main focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25366336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tattsun_senpai/pseuds/tattsun_senpai
Summary: It was only meant to be a joke when Rinne flirted with one of the ALKALOID members. He viewed Tatsumi as nothing more than some pure religious boy and thought it’d be fun to mess around with him.He just didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did.
Relationships: Kazehaya Tatsumi/Amagi Rinne
Comments: 12
Kudos: 50





	1. Party Pranks

**Author's Note:**

> I'm building the TatsuRinne Nation from the ground up and nobody can stop me
> 
> This kind of started as like... a hypothetical with some friends? And I ended up adoring the idea of these two together... I think the dynamic would be super interested and I'm a little surprised no one else has really thought about it?? Even as like a crackship?? Anyway this *was* gonna be a oneshot and then I got too many ideas and now it's multi-chapter. This'll be the first multi-chapter fic i've written since.........2016? So uhhhh...!! yeah!!
> 
> I'll do my best with updates and at least try to get a chapter out every week - this one only took me a few hours to write, so I think it's doable!
> 
> Please enjoy!!!

“Amagi, you are not going to do this.”

“Oh, I’m absolutely gonna do this.”

 _“Amagi,_ ”

The two stood, bickering at each other while looking toward ALKALOID’s pastor sitting all by his lonesome. Rinne brought it up as just a way of messing with HiMERU. The idea of flirting with your unit mate’s rival seemed like a wonderful way to get on his nerves. Plus, how would someone so pure like mister religious boy react to someone as crude as Amagi Rinne and his false confession?

“What, don’t tell me ya jealous? Ya don’t want what’s his face bein’ snagged away from ya? Or maybe Merumeru doesn’t wanna lose his precious Rinne~?” the redhead teased, poking the young man on the cheeks.

“HiMERU wants nothing to do with this,” he sighed, ready to leave the scene at any second. “Do what you want. HiMERU won’t stop you.” Without even waiting for a response, HiMERU turned away from Rinne, making his way over to where Niki and Kohaku were idly chatting. That was fine, Rinne thought. Nothing wrong with a more private prank.

Rinne brushed a hand through his hair, his other hand holding his plastic cup of beer by the top. After touching up his looks a bit, he strutted toward Tatsumi, who was sipping on his drink and watching the party unfold before him. It was strange for him to be alone for once, since usually, Mayoi would cling onto him like a dependent puppy. But the purple-haired boy was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey,” Rinne snapped, grabbing the other man’s attention. Tatsumi’s head perked up, looking at the man. He let out a small “hm?” to signify he was listening, a welcoming smile on his face.

“Couldn’t help but notice you’re sittin’ alone…” Tatsumi nodded, holding his drink with both hands. “The hell are ya doin’ sittin’ around for? There’s a whole party goin’ on, and you’re missin’ it!” Rinne towered over him, hoping to perhaps instill even a bit of fear into him. He never knew much about Tatsumi, but he’d never seen him express himself in a way that wasn’t with a gentle smile.

“Oh, I was just taking a little break from the crowd. Is something wrong? Do you need me for anything, Rinne-san?” he asked, completely unphased. Dammit. That was fine, though. Rinne had other ideas on messing with Tatsumi.

“Just wonderin’ why someone like ya was sittin’ all by yourself… Your girlfriend leave ya alone for once?” Rinne took a seat himself next to Tatsumi. He had been standing for quite a while himself, and the little break honestly did feel nice.

Tatsumi pondered for a second, wondering who this ‘girlfriend’ was. It soon clicked in his head, letting out a small “oh!” in realization.

“Are you referring to Mayoi-san? We aren’t like that,” kind laughter escaped his lips, a blissful expression to match his lighthearted words. He and Mayoi were mistaken for a couple often, so this was nothing new for him. Still, Mayoi being referred to as his ‘girlfriend’ was what threw him off most.

Rinne draped one of his legs over the other, taking a sip of his drink. “So what’cha sayin’ is you’re single?” Not like Rinne wouldn’t have been here if Tatsumi was in a relationship, anyway. But him being single made this all the more fun in his eyes.

“I suppose so,” Tatsumi began. “But I believe I should stay focused more on idol work and personal studies rather than a relationship.” Of course, he’d say something like that, Rinne thought. This guy did seem pretty boring. He was about to make some sort of comment, but Tatsumi continued to speak.

“Well, I guess I wouldn’t be opposed to being romantically involved with someone. Is there any reason you ask?” Tatsumi looked toward Rinne, a seemingly unknown glint in his eyes. Perfect, Rinne thought. Now was his time to strike.

“Welllll… ‘just couldn’t help but notice you’re… quite the _‘holy man’_ , hm?” The pastor nodded, tapping his fingers on the side of his cup. “It’s just that… I got my own bible that needs a lil’ bit of readin’, y’know?” Rinne lightly twirled his drink in his hand, the sound of ice hitting the cup.

Tatsumi’s expression shifts, signifying slight confusion. “Is Rinne-san interested in religion as well?” Was he being serious? Rinne could only laugh at how oblivious he seemed to be.

“Perhaps you’re not pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down.” He thought for a moment, trying to rephrase this in a way Tatsumi would understand. Rinne wasn’t a religious man, so his references only came from vague knowledge.

“Ya know Adam and Eve? Wouldn’t’cha say they were quite the couple?” He knew somewhat of the story, at least aware of the fact they were supposed to be the first humans to exist. Christianity of all things however was not his strong suit.

Tatsumi cocked his head to the side slightly. “Are you referring to the units? Or are you perhaps talking about the biblical story about the original sin and fall of man?” Rinne shrugged his shoulders. Either could work, honestly. 

“The relationship between Adam and Eve held many faults, mostly a lack of communication. It led to Eve being deceived into eating the forbidden fruit due to Adam not informing her of its sin.” Tatsumi spoke about the story effortlessly, something Rinne didn’t grasp. He shook off the other man’s words, now resting his head in one of his hands.

“Well, they were both naked in that garden, y’know?” he hummed.

“I fail to see how that is relevant,” Tatsumi responded, taking another sip of his water. 

Rinne sighed, almost feeling defeated with how much of a dumbass this guy seemed to be. He still had to be persistent, however and decided it’d be best to stray away from religious flirting for now.

“Let’s just cut to the chase, m’kay? You’re like a priest or whatever, right?” Tatsumi raised a finger as he was about to correct Rinne, but was cut off before he could speak.

“Don’t you ever get tired of acting all pure and holy and that? Kick back! Let yourself have a lil’ fun~” Rinne took another swig from his drink until there was nothing left but ice cubes. He’d definitely be getting more throughout the party. One beer just wasn’t enough to get him drunk.

Tatsumi simply let out a pleasant laugh. It sounded rather charming to Rinne if he was being honest. It was lighthearted and genuine. He shook the thoughts away, wondering if his brain was playing some sort of trick on him. It was just a laugh, he told himself. Even if it sounded nice, that meant nothing.

“I’m having fun right now.” Tatsumi started, his gaze fixated on the contents of his drink. “I’ve actually been quite rebellious today compared to normal. I even took an extra dessert without asking, fufu~” 

That was absolutely nothing, Rinne sighed mentally. How many treats had he taken from the table? Enough for him to lose track, that was for sure. How boring was this guy, anyway? He almost couldn’t take it. Even if his laugh was pleasant, everything else about him seemed so... lackluster.

“Okay, okay. You’re fuckin’ with me, aren’t cha?” he asked, clearly at the end of his nerves. “There’s no way you’re actually this dumb, right?” 

Tatsumi blinked, his smile suddenly looking more sly than it was just a moment ago. “I’m not sure what you mean?” He looked away from his drink, his eyes now glued to looking at Rinne.

The redhead contemplated for a moment how to go about this in an obvious way — an obvious way that would also _mess_ with Tatsumi. He could have said something vulgar, but if anyone else overheard, he’d without a doubt get kicked out of the building.

“Just wonderin’ why someone… attractive like ya ain’t got a date, or hell — ain’t even interested.” Rinne set his drink down on the ground, replacing his tired expression with a cocky grin. 

“Y’know, ya got a lotta options. Who knows, ya could be lookin’ right at one~” He felt proud of himself for that one. There was no way Tatsumi could misinterpret that. He’d fall straight for the bait, and Rinne could laugh and call the whole thing off, returning to the party and leaving the boy feeling defeated and empty.

He let out another giggle, just as Rinne expected. “Ah, are you interested in me, Rinne-san? I’m quite flattered, though I fail to understand what you find appealing about me.” Perhaps Rinne didn’t know it, but Tatsumi was fully aware of the games he had been trying to play. Now it was his turn for a little bit of fun with the overly confident and boastful Amagi Rinne.

“Would it be too much to ask what it is you find charming about me? No need to answer. I know it is a rather selfish request.” He sat patiently, awaiting an answer. Though he and Rinne never interacted much prior to the party, he knew a bit about him through conversations between Hiiro and Aira. He was the gambler type, putting his luck on the line every moment of his life. Hell, he probably viewed Tatsumi as just another gamble. But that was fine. Right now, he was losing without even knowing.

Rinne paused, contemplating putting an end to the joke now. He would just laugh it off, say Tatsumi got tricked, and that’d be the end of that. He wanted to do all that, but words got stuck in Rinne’s throat, and he ended up being silent for longer than intended.

“Fufu, I never took Rinne-san for the shy type. Your face is all red~” Tatsumi sang. His voice really did sound beautiful to Rinne’s ears. Hearing his laugh mixed with cheerful little remarks only made Rinne’s face flush more. Without warning, he stood up from his seat, looking away from Tatsumi.

“Kyahaha! Gotcha! I was just pullin’ your leg~ No way I’d ever _actually_ be interested in some virgin priest boy!” He laughed, trying to radiate as much confidence as he could with a face as red as his own. Tatsumi didn’t respond to the comment about his leg being pulled (which was rather insensitive, but he’d let it pass) or about him being some ‘virgin priest boy’ (the least he could do was get his job right — he was a _pastor_. But again, he’d let it pass).

“There’s no need to hide your feelings, Rinne-san,” he said, a pitiful look on his face. Rinne really didn’t want to look at him all of a sudden and kept his gaze situated on the decorated wall rather than the smiling man. “If you like me, you like me. I think it’s best to be honest with yourself, wouldn’t you say?” 

Rinne desperately wanted to give some sort of comeback, letting Tatsumi know that this whole thing really _was_ just a big joke. So then why couldn’t he say anything? His throat felt clogged, and nothing could come up. All he could do was let out a few coughs, now directing his attention to where his brother stood. That’d be a nice excuse, he thought to himself.

“Oh! Seems my lil’ brother needs somethin’ from me! Catch ya later, church boy~!” He rushed away to Hiiro’s side, who was chatting with Aira and Kohaku. Rinne pulled Hiiro into a sudden hug, making his entrance known to the three and interrupting their conversation with his own distracting ramblings.

Tatsumi watched from his chair tucked in the corner of the room, his smile still clear on his face as he watched the older man attempt to mask his abrupt embarrassment. He found it rather cute that someone so prideful like Rinne could suddenly crack so easily.

He wasn’t alone with his thoughts for long, as he felt the fabric of a glove soon tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Mayoi, who appeared rather anxious with the crowd. Mayoi asked to hide behind Tatsumi, and though he wanted the boy to venture outside his comfort zone, it was clear he became drained from being in the public for so long. Tatsumi spent the rest of the party by Mayoi’s side, watching Rinne drown himself in alcohol for the rest of the night. It was chaotic, but he found himself suddenly interested in this man he had never paid attention to in the past.

Maybe another day, they’ll talk again, he thought to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter:  
> Amagi Rinne's Case


	2. Amagi Rinne's Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rinne can't stop thinking about a certain someone the day after the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this just makes me want to write rinniki... they're so much fun and writing their dialogue was just a blast.
> 
> This is the first chapter where some of the one-sided attractions really start... coming through. It hurts a bit but~ oh well!
> 
> Apologies if this chapter is.... written kinda poorly. Not sure how to keep describing things in a scene of two characters talking and eating so this is what you get.

The sun peaked in through the curtains, blinding Rinne as he awoke from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes, groaning as he rose from the bed. His head hurt, and he felt like sleeping for the entire day. The only thing to tempt him out of bed was the sounds coming from the kitchen, along with the scent of a certain someone’s delicious cooking.

He swung his legs over the side of his unmade bed, running his fingers through his hair to lazily brush as he made his way toward the kitchen. Niki let out a chipper “g’morning~”, to which Rinne only responded with a groan and sat at the table.

“Someone’s tired,” Niki commented, setting up both their bowls of steamed rice. He cracked a raw egg on each, moving over to the table where Rinne sat and placed the bowls down. 

“You hungover?” Niki asks, taking a pair of chopsticks. Rinne only nods, letting out another grumble. That was part of the problem. It was at least the only thing Niki needed to be concerned about. Rinne grabbed his own chopsticks, breaking them apart and began picking at his food.

“...I get you’re not feeling great, but even when you’re hungover you’re not this grumpy in the mornings. Something wrong?” Niki asked in between bites of his food. Rinne held his head in his hand. “‘S nothing,” he said, speech slightly slurred. 

It was obvious to Niki however that something definitely _was_ wrong. 

“I’m always here to talk to you if ya need it, y’know? It’s not good to bottle everything up…” Niki expressed, lowering his chopsticks to bring more of a focus to the upset man in front of him. Rinne would have said something about _Niki_ being the weird one here. He was caring more for Rinne than his wonderful food? Was _he_ sick?

“...’m just thinkin’... ‘bout the party,” Rinne mumbled, to which Niki responded with a lighthearted giggle.

“I didn’t expect you to remember much of it.” Niki took another bite of his breakfast, chewing before saying any more. “You always blackout, y’know? And you started drinking the second you entered that room.”

Rinne finally ate a bit of his own rice and egg. It tasted good, as Niki’s cooking always did. But right now he just couldn’t express his gratitude.

“What’re you thinking about, though?” Niki questioned.

“I don’ remember much. I jus’ remember what happened between that church boy and I.” Rinne immediately went back to picking at his food, watching the egg break apart in his bowl, and mixing with the rice. 

“‘ _Church boy’?_ The one you flirted with? You mean Tatsu-kun?” 

“Nn? Ya know him? The one with weird double moles?”

“Oh, no no. We’ve never really spoken before.” Niki clarified, a warm expression crossing his face. “It’s just that Mayo-chan talks about him a lot~ He gets really happy talking about him, nahaha! It’s cute to see him so excited~” He smiled at Rinne, though it was clear his thoughts were still lingering on the rather eccentric third year.

“Tatsu-kyun…” Rinne repeated to himself. “Tatsu-kyun…” Even his name was charming, he thought. He could feel his complexion heat up just thinking about it. He remembered his beautiful face, all matched with that smooth voice that called his name so delicately. _‘Rinne-san,’_ he played over in his head. _‘Rinne-san,’ ‘Rinne san,’ ‘Rinne sa--’_

“Rinne-kun? You there?” Niki snapped, now awaking the redhead out of his own thoughts. “Pfft, ‘f course I’m here!” He brushed the chef away, chopsticks back to messing with his food. 

“You really don’t seem like yourself, Rinne-kun.” Niki’s voice almost showed a hint of concern, but soon drifted into a more playful state. “Are you thinkin’ about him?”  
Rinne gave his best efforts to hide his red face with a cocky smile matched with a laugh, hoping it’d tell Niki, _‘you sound so stupid right now’_. But he was right. As much as Rinne didn’t want to admit it, he _was_ thinking about this ‘Tatsu-kyun’. 

“Well? Since we’re on the topic, what do you think of him?” Niki asked, his grin now appearing more cat-like as his chopsticks gripped another bite of rice.

“Well, I just think he’s—” Rinne opened his mouth to speak, soon filling his face full of steamed rice and egg. He spoke with his mouth full of food, letting out completely incomprehensible mumbles and noises.

“Rinne-kun… Can you not talk with your mouth full? It’s gross, and I don’t know what you’re saying!” Niki reprimanded, following his complaints with him taking his own bite of food.

“Haah? Niki-kyun’s always stuffin’ his face fulla food though~ Suddenly it’s a crime for poor lil’ Rinne to do it?” He swallowed, following it up with a defeated sigh.

“Fine, _fine_. Ya wanna know the truth?” Niki nodded, not bothering to comment on the older man attempting to make himself the victim.

“I just think this ‘Tatsu-kyun’ guy is kinda n—”

 _“Rinne-kun, will you stop that?!”_ Niki gave his hand a little slap, signaling him to stop drowning himself in rice when talking.

“Okay, _okay—_! Jeez, _someone_ woke up on the wrong side of the bed this mornin’”

“Like you’re one to say that.”

Rinne thought for a moment on what to say, hoping maybe he could somehow drift the conversation away from Tatsumi. Before he could get anything out, however, Niki let a rather loud exhale out his nose, setting his utensils down.

“Okay. You don’t gotta hide it from me. You like this Tatsu-kun, don’t you?” Rinne choked on the rice in his throat, definitely exaggerating the gesture. He let out a howl of laughter, acting as though Niki was crazy to even suggest the thought.

“Ya think—” he took a breath for air. “Ya think I have any interest in some virgin priest boy like _him_? Didn’t know Niki-kyun was plannin’ on becomin' a comedian~!” 

Niki gave Rinne somewhat of a glare. “Why don’t you answer my question, then? If Rinne-kun doesn’t like Tatsu-kun, then what do you think of him?”

Rinne set his chopsticks down for a moment, looking relaxed as his hand held up his head.

“‘Think he’s weird.”

“...and?” Niki raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with the answer.

“And that’s it. What more does a guy gotta say? Get off my case, geez~!” His smile was sly as he prepared himself to start teasing the younger man. Maybe he couldn’t tease someone like Tatsumi well, but no matter how used to Rinne’s antics Niki would be, he’d always react the same to them.

“Is Niki-kyun jealous someone like him could snipe me away from ya?” He asked, now raising his own eyebrow in suspicion. “Do ya love ya boy Rinne that much? Maybe tha’s why ya suggested we start sleepin’ in the same room, hm? Cuz ya can’t get enough of me~?”

The chef’s face immediately flushed, to which he covered it with one of his hands. “Th-That’s not what matters right now!” He groaned into his hand, head facing down toward the table. “I just don’t want you hurting your back on the couch—! I—! Ughhh, you’re so difficult sometimes, Rinne-kun!”

Rinne let out a laugh, happy the teasing shifted the conversation and distracted the other man.

“Ya can’t live without me~”

The two continued to bicker throughout their breakfast, the discussion of the party and Tatsumi ending soon after Rinne began his teasing. He felt relieved to not have that weight on his shoulders - at least the weight of talking to Niki about it. The younger man left after breakfast to run some errands, leaving Rinne in the apartment all on his lonesome.

He flickered on the TV and laid on the couch, finally having a moment to himself. Being alone with himself however also meant being alone with his thoughts — which, much to his discretion, were still filled with thoughts of this _holy man_ he was supposed to have messed with at the party. He wondered just how someone seemingly so… ordinary? Boring? Like Tatsumi could switch the roles so easily, leaving Rinne the one being played for the fool.

Was Tatsumi aware of Rinne’s games? Was Tatsumi somehow so oblivious yet so… charming? Rinne shook his head, hoping to rattle away the thoughts. It was one night, he told himself. It’s not even like anything _actually_ happened between them — just Rinne making a fool out of himself. (So really, nothing new.)

The TV served more as white noise, with Rinne not paying much attention to what was happening. He only directed his attention when some weird dating show started playing. There was a row of bachelors — most of which Rinne couldn’t find himself caring for.

There were closeups of every one of them, highlighting what was meant to be their most ‘attractive’ features while going into detail of their personality and hobbies. He didn’t think much of it, but then someone on the screen appeared with teal hair. It reminded him of Tatsumi’s. It looked so soft to touch, even if it was weirdly messy in the back. While Rinne always favored hair he could easily pull and Tatsumi’s length not being ideal for that, he still found himself to be attracted to it.

The next contestant showed up on the screen, this time their face decorated with one mole under their eye. It wasn’t comparable to the two that dotted Tatsumi’s face but was enough to remind him of the boy’s complexion. Rinne wondered to himself, were the moles real? Makeup? How would they naturally line up so perfectly on his cheek? 

His thoughts lingered and lingered with every contestant who showed their face. One held an interest in writing and art. It made Rinne wonder if Tatsumi was interested in those sorts of things too. 

Another man appeared who was said to have damaged himself in the past but was recovering swiftly. Rinne thought that to be a strange detail to include in a dating show, but even that made him think of Tatsumi. He always walked with a bit of a limp in his leg. What was the deal with that, he wondered?

Perhaps it was silly to have every little thing remind him of the sudden angel (or perhaps, devil in disguise?) who walked into his life. Rinne never let himself have abiding thoughts about those he messed with — so why was Tatsumi so different? Even thinking about him now, he could feel his face catch on fire.

Rinne wasn’t lying the other day when he said Tatsumi Was attractive. He just didn’t realize _he_ was the one attracted to him.

Rinne’s eyes widened, and he sat himself up from his comfortable position on the couch. He put his head in both his hands, letting out a groan in realization.

He somehow actually fell in love with the stupid bastard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rinne is fucking gay lol  
> Next chapter:  
> Kazehaya Tatsumi's Case


	3. Kazehaya Tatsumi's Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tatsumi wants to explore untouched emotions in his writing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took some inspiration from a Tatsumi centered oneshot I wrote a while ago, To Dream ! It's just Tatsumi writing out his emotions, but instead of writing it like a typical journal entry or anything of the sort, he feels more comfortable expressing his feelings through stories. 
> 
> You'll get a little peek into Tatsumi's writing this chapter! And also there's some bits of nonbinary tatsumi sprinkled here because I'm incredibly self indulgent. It will absolutely be relevant in the future :)

“What are you doing, Tatsumi-senpai?”

Hiiro peeked his head up to Tatsumi’s bunk, hands resting on the bed’s edge as he kept himself standing. It was late at night, the moon finally showing its face after a nice summer day. Everyone was getting ready to head to sleep — well, everyone besides Mayoi, who was left to do his own things as usual. He was much more of a night owl than the rest of ALKALOID, so the three were often left falling asleep without his presence.

Tatsumi glanced down at the boy softly bouncing up and down on the mattress where he stood. A notebook sat in Tatsumi’s lap, along with an ink pen resting in between his fingers. 

“Just a bit of writing before bed,” he said. “I used to only write in the mornings, but I find it to be a nice way to lull myself to sleep at times.”

“Can I see?” Hiiro inquired, having asked this question countless times whenever Tatsumi indulged in this hobby of his. He was always hesitant about showing what he wrote. He wasn’t ashamed of his skills or anything of the sort, rather not wishing to show any sort of vulnerability or secrets he wasn’t ready for the rest of the world to know.

Tatsumi looked at what he had already written. It wasn’t anything negative or corrupt like some of his stories, so he thought maybe it’d be okay to let Hiiro know just this once. 

“I don’t have much,” Tatsumi chuckled. “But I’m writing a story to express… some feelings I have, I suppose.” That was how he preferred getting his emotions across most. Tatsumi never liked talking about himself, so writing about characters or scenarios that represented his own struggles and feelings made him feel better about venting. 

“What feelings?” Hiiro asked, simply curious about his unit mate. Tatsumi masked his emotions quite frequently to the rest of ALKALOID, so it was only natural for the young boy to be so interested.

Tatsumi paused, thinking to himself for a moment before speaking. It would be rather odd for him to say these feelings were concerning Hiiro’s own flesh and blood, right? Perhaps staying vague would be the best course of action, he decided.

“Something to do with love.” Tatsumi clicked his pen a few times, enjoying the white noise it added to the otherwise quiet room. “I’m not sure how strong these feelings are, or even if they’re real at all.” He admitted, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’ve never fallen in love before, so I don’t understand my feelings much. Because of that, I wanted to try and explore the emotions in writing.” Tatsumi finished, hoping that’d be a satisfactory answer. Hiiro nodded, showing his understanding, only to soon follow it up with another question.

“Who are you in love with?”

Tatsumi did his best to keep his expression calm, but he could feel his face heat up a bit just at the question.

“Again, I don’t _really_ know if I’m in love or not. I’m only exploring the emotion.” Hiiro once again responded with a nod, only to ask once more of who Tatsumi harbored feelings for.

“Who is it? HiMERU-senpai? Mayoi-senpai? Maybe even Koga-senpai?” Hiiro guessed, running through the names of all the acquaintances and friends (and enemies?) he knew Tatsumi had. Tatsumi could only react with a smile, followed by soft laughter. Hiiro wasn’t going to give this up, was he? It was cute how excited he was about Tatsumi’s supposed love life. He almost wanted to ruffle his messy hair like a dog and beckon him off to bed. 

“No, none of them. Rather, it’s someone I’ve only spoken to recently.”

Hiiro thought back to the party they had just the previous day. He wasn’t paying the most attention to who Tatsumi interacted with, but he remembered a few faces.

There was Niki, who he never talked to before. But their conversation seemed to be nothing more than a simple _“Thank you for all this food,”_ and _“Of course! Eat as much as you’d like”._ Could feelings blossom from such a simple conversation? Or was there more going on than Hiiro thought?

There was also Kohaku, who Tatsumi briefly spoke to. But Kohaku seemed too young for Tatsumi’s liking, so Hiiro immediately threw that option out. Plus, Kohaku was already in a relationship with him and Aira!

The last person he thought of was Rinne. Hiiro didn’t recall any of their interactions, but he did remember how suddenly his older brother ran up to pull him in an awkward hug, his face even somewhat hot. He was obviously trying to avoid something at that point, and Hiiro could recollect looking behind him, only to see Tatsumi’s smiling face as he sat alone in his chair. 

“...Nii-san?” Hiiro questioned, wondering if his guess was even anywhere near correct. Tatsumi could feel his cheeks heat up a bit more with Hiiro’s words. He was right on the money, and Tatsumi could only react by letting out a tinge of nervous laughter.

“You’re rather good at this, fufu,” he smiled, now shutting his notebook to ensure Hiiro couldn’t peek inside. It’s not as though Tatsumi was writing weird mushy stuff — far from it. It was just the sudden embarrassment he hardly ever felt now bubbling up inside him. Plus, wasn’t it kind of peculiar for someone to _maybe_ develop feelings for their unit mate’s older brother?

“Tatsumi-senpai likes Nii-san?” Hiiro asked once more for clarification, stars now forming in his eyes. “Tatsumi-senpai likes Nii-san…!” A smile made its way onto his face, seeming almost… _too_ happy about this? His volume was beginning to increase with every word he said, prompting Tatsumi to shush him gently.

“Sorry, sorry! I got all excited, haha~” he apologized, but soon got the conversation back on track.

“I’m happy for you, Tatsumi-senpai! You’re already like family to me, so if you date Nii-san, it’ll become the real deal! Does that mean I should start calling you ‘Tatsu nii-san’ too?” Hiiro hopped more in place, trying his best to not speak so loud as Tatsumi had requested. 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? Fufu, but I’m happy you’re so supportive—”

“—What are you guys yelling about so late?” Aira interrupted, brushing his hair with his hand as he stepped foot out of the bathroom. Hiiro jumped off the mattress, bouncing up to the shorter boy with excitement.

“Tatsumi-senpai — or I guess Tatsu nii-san — has feelings for—!”

“ _‘Tatsu nii-san’_ has a feeling it’s time for us to all head to bed now, okay? It’s quite late, and you two have plans with Kohaku-san tomorrow, correct? You’ll want to have as much energy as you can, I’m sure.” Tatsumi stopped the energetic boy from finishing his thoughts, hoping Aira wouldn’t catch on.

 _“‘Tattsun nii-san…?’”_ Aira repeated, raising an eyebrow. Hiiro was ready to open his mouth once more to finish his thought, only for Tatsumi to cut him off before he could begin.

“We were just playing a bit of pretend, is all. It was fun, Hiiro-san, but we should really go to sleep now, shouldn’t we?” 

Aira blinked, not buying the situation. However, he decided to deal with it later. “Well, I’m tired, so I’m heading to bed! Goodnightttt~!” 

Hiiro let out a small ‘okay’ as he soon went to his bed, clearly still excited about what just took place. He was definitely still curious about what Tatsumi was writing about, but he never got to read his writing anyway. This was just another aspect of Tatsumi he’d never be able to learn in full.

It was then the two fell into their own dreamland, and Tatsumi was left alone with his notebook and thoughts. He opened back to where he left off, the nightlight by his bed dimly illuminating the page. 

He reread what he already wrote, not making much progress beyond setting up the premise: An angel being dragged into Hell by the hands of a devil. They were opposites in every sense and yet were mysteriously drawn to each other even with their differences. Was it love? Was it just emotions playing a sick trick on them? It was for them to find out.

Tatsumi saw himself in the angel, while the confident redhead took the role of the devil. Perhaps it was cruel to label Rinne as a devil — but Tatsumi was trying to erase a corrupt version of himself his brain created from the past. He didn’t view Rinne as a devil; rather someone who just lacked purity.

Tatsumi clicked his pen a few more times, thinking of where to continue with his writing. The angel was pulled into Hell and now left in the hands of this devil who was responsible for their descent. Tatsumi was tired and decided this story would only be so short.

The devil wanted something from the angel. At first, the devil craved using the angel as some sort of play-thing, only to throw them away like another broken toy added to the pile. But the angel never responded in a way he had expected. The angel acted on their own, much to the devil’s dismay. Even if the world they now lived in was unfit for their kind, they continued to act as though they were right at home.

Was the devil in love? He found himself strangely attracted to the angel and their unpredictable antics. It was then the devil decided that perhaps there wouldn’t be much harm in treating the angel more like one of his own rather than another blank face.

One day, the angel found a lonesome flower blooming in the depths of Hell. They couldn’t tell where it came from, and they had never seen flowers in this corrupt wonderland until now. However, they decided to pluck the flower from its roots. It was a carnation, one beautifully pink in color. It looked as though it was cared for in the most wonderful garden, yet it was the only of its kind.

The angel kept hold of the flower, soon finding the devil they also found themselves so very interested in. “Here,” they said, handing the carnation to the slightly taller being. “I hope to awake your heart to true warmth and purity.” 

The devil took the flower into his hands, but instead of keeping it, he tucked it behind the angel’s ear. It brought vibrant color to their otherwise painfully dull white hair. “It looks better on you,” he said, smiling.

At that moment, his face looked so serene. He looked as though a bad thought never once crossed his mind, even if both creatures knew that far to be true. The angel found themselves getting lost in his smile matched with his carefree eyes. Even the delicate touch of his hand brushing past their hair as he decorated it with flowers made them feel something flutter in their chest.

It was then the angel thought to themselves; were they in love, too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love alkaloid so much you have no idea
> 
> Next Chapter:  
> Facing the Truth
> 
> Edit 11/18/2020:
> 
> Hii! Sorry for leaving this fic for dead. Some things happened that left me having bad associations with AO3 as a whole and /especially/ this fic and even ship. However, I would love to still be able to continue this story sometime in the future! But it is currently on hold until further notice.
> 
> Chapter 4 is half-way written and chapter 5 is completely finished. 6 and 7 have had no progress made on them besides basic notes.
> 
> I would like to thank you all for so many hits kudos and comments!! It really does mean a lot. 
> 
> And don't worry... TatsuRinne is still special in my heart. What happened was months ago, so hopefully, I can get over it completely soon enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll do my best updating and writing frequently!!! Comments and kudos are always wonderfully appreciated, but I'm glad anyone stopped by to read this at all!!!
> 
> twt is @HiMERU_reimei !! thank you for reading!!! I hope to get the next chapters out sometime in the near future!


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